Hyundai completely revises Sonata for 2015

Hyundai revealed the all-new 2015 version of its popular mid-size Sonata sedan Wednesday at the New York Auto Show.

Stylistically, the car is similar to the previous model, though the lines have been made a little more angular with larger windows for better visibility. The new car also carries a lot of the design cues from the larger Hyundai Genesis sedan, which was revealed back in January.

Inside the car, Hyundai worked to give the new car a more premium feel. That includes touches like a consistent feel to all the buttons, even though they may come from different suppliers, and extensive sound-deadening enhancements for a quieter ride.

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The car's body is stiffer than the previous car, too, which also helps reduce noise and vibration while improving the ride quality.

As with most new cars, there are lots of safety gadgets available in the new Sonata, like collision avoidance, lane departure warnings and smart cruise control that can take the car all the way to a full stop if needed.

Even the trunk is a little more convenient. If your hands are full, you only need to walk up to the trunk with the key in a pocket or purse, wait three seconds, and the trunk will open automatically.

While the car has iPod, USB and Bluetooth connections, the new Sonata will also be one of the first cars offered with Apple's CarPlay system, which tightly integrates iPhones into the car's entertainment system. With CarPlay, the driver can access maps, phone functions and message functions through Siri's voice recognition, keeping the driver focused on the road.

To power the 2015 Sonata, Hyundai updated the engines from the previous car. There's a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that actually has a little less peak power than the 2014 model, which was done to make the engine more responsive at lower speeds. There's also a 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that generates 245 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. Both engines come with a six-speed automatic transmission.

The new car will be built at Hyundai's Montgomery, Ala. factory and will go on sale this summer. Prices will be announced closer to the on-sale date.

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